Chapter Nine
This wasn’t exactly unheard of, however, Massimo had no choice but to arrange a meeting with King first. He would have liked to deal with the Vigo Bratva first, but they were proving to be less accommodating. King’s specifications had surprised him.
They were in the middle of the city, in a quaint little café that didn’t have high-end clientele, but was busy. He had lost count of the number of times the door opened and closed.
King had stepped inside, looking like any other nine-to-five employee. It was only when you looked closely, at the three men, in different parts of the café, and Massimo knew what he was looking at.
King ordered a coffee with a grilled cheese.
Massimo ordered a coffee, no food.
For several minutes, they just looked at one another. No words were spoken. He was bored.
“You’re the one who arranged this meeting,” King said. “I think you should use your time wisely.” He pressed the tips of his fingers together as he rested his hands on the table.
He saw the redness on the man’s knuckles.
“Luiz Gutterman, do you know him?” Massimo asked.
King smiled. “Know him? Yeah, I know him. Trust me, I know every twisted fucker in this city. Luiz was a certain type.”
“You ever do business with him?”
King sighed. “I started to do business with him. Nothing related to the Russo Mafia. Luiz wanted girls. In the beginning I thought he just liked a lot of different girls. Men like you tend to like girls that have had it rough. You have this savior complex that you want to get them out of a tough situation. That was not Luiz’s gig. ”
“You didn’t know?”
“His penchant for torturing and then putting them into Bratva territory? Fuck, no. Look, I’m no saint, okay?
I’ve done my share of bad shit, and I continue to do my share of bad shit, but those girls .
.. they trusted me. I told them it was going to be okay.
That all they had to do was play their part and shit would be fine. ”
“It wasn’t fine,” Massimo said.
“No, it wasn’t. Instead, I got a dead woman in Bratva territory. Luiz tried to fuck me, and tried to blame the Bratva. He thought I was fucking stupid.”
“It happened more than once?”
“Yeah, it did.” He ran a hand down his face. “It was a month’s worth of women. Ten women.”
Massimo looked at King, and if he wasn’t mistaken, the other man looked guilty.
“How was it able to get to ten?”
“Because after a gig, usually I have a guy take them home. It’s part of the deal. That way, I get to know the state of the girls once they are done with clients. I’m not a good guy, but I don’t want them hurt.”
He had no doubt it was more about damaging the merchandise than actually caring about the women, but he didn’t say anything. He just looked to King, and his face had gone red. His anger was starting to flare.
“Luiz had sent my guys away. Paid double so he could be the one to drop them off. Again, figured it was the hero complex. Then when it was brought to my attention, I had to make negotiations with the Bratva, for me to see with my own eyes. The shit that man did. That’s not normal.
I get that you can have a hatred for women.
Some of them are bitches and would smile at you and stab you in the back to get ahead.
None of them deserved what he did to them.
Not a single one. They died on my watch, and then he tried to get the Bratva to turn on me. ”
“When did you stop doing business with him?” Massimo asked.
King blew out a breath. “Over a year ago.”
“A year?”
“Yeah. I didn’t give him any more girls, and trust me, I kept the money he fucking offered.” He ran a hand down his face. “I know you Russo bastards were some sick fucks, but that stuff is just plain fucking wrong. That was a new edge of cruelty.”
Massimo knew what Luiz was capable of.
“No other deals. No negotiations.”
“What’s it worth to you?” King asked.
“How about you being able to walk out of here and continue to conduct your business?” Massimo said. “If you want to play this game, I am happy to. Trust me, I would take a great deal of pleasure in making you pay, King.”
They stared at each other. Assessing.
Massimo was not afraid. King was nothing more than a bug, would be an easy target to torment, and it wouldn’t even cost him any time. That was just how good he was.
King sighed. “Shit. Luiz called me a few weeks ago. I can’t remember when.
To be honest, I was shocked he would even dare to call me.
After the last time, I didn’t exactly leave him without a mark.
He told me a new player was coming. One that was going to take over the Russo family and when that happened, there would be a spot for me. ”
“In the Russo Mafia?” Massimo asked.
“No, not Russo. It was going to be another name, but you think I got where I am without knowing shit when I hear it? If I agree to that, then I’m an accomplice.
I ain’t doing any of that shit. Look at me, I’m happy with what I’ve got.
You think I need the Russo dogs coming at me?
No, I don’t. I don’t have jack shit. The Russo family being taken over was never going to happen. ”
“Did he tell you who was making that claim?”
“Not a clue, but he was happy to show some cash. Luiz offered me half a million to help the cause. It sounded like some rebel bullshit. It was even stacked up in his house, but fuck, no. Like I told you, I’m not a fucking idiot.
Russo has owned these streets long enough to know it is not going to be taken over without a bloodbath.
” King shrugged. “Is that it? Is that all you want to hear? I just want the little piece of paradise I earned.”
The coffees came to the table, along with King’s grilled cheese. Massimo sat back, taking a sip of his coffee as King started on his grilled cheese.
This hadn’t exactly been helpful. All he knew now was that King wasn’t stupid to start a war with them. It would never be one he could win, but there were a lot of stupid people in the world. He just had to find one who was willing to ruin his life for the Mafia title.
****
“You know, I haven’t stepped foot inside here since my wife passed,” Vincent said.
Isabella had gone to lunch. Adelina had been given an invitation, but she hadn’t felt like leaving the house.
The room they had stepped into was Massimo’s mother’s studio.
It was a large room at the back of the house.
The windows had been covered by large, thick curtains.
Vincent had pulled them away, and the room was that of an artist. There were a couple of easels set up, paintings along the floor, some stacked together.
There were open paints, and she guessed it looked exactly the same way when his wife had left it. The curtains must have drawn the night before she passed away.
No one had stepped foot inside the room.
There were some cobwebs in corners, and a thick layer of dust coated every surface. The windows also had stains on them from where it must have condensed and then dried. The sunshine cast an amazing glow across the room. The view of the gardens was breathtaking.
“My wife had great talent. There was a time she wanted to be an artist,” Vincent said. “But she was never going to be. She was my wife instead, and I promised her artwork would one day make an exhibition. I would arrange it myself.” He chuckled. “She never wanted that.”
“She didn’t?”
“No.” He shook his head. “All she ever wanted to do was paint for the pleasure of it. She never wanted people to criticize her work. You know?”
“I get it.”
Adelina stepped toward one of the paintings, and it was of two King Charles Spaniels. “Wow, they’re so lifelike.”
“They were the dogs my wife had when she was little. They passed away not long after we were married. It broke her heart, and mine. I was never a dog man, but those dogs, Ginger and Snaps, were good dogs. Fuck me, I miss them.”
She walked toward him and put a hand on his shoulder, then she actually hugged him, wrapping her arms around him, trying to offer comfort in the darkness of his mind.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“You’re hurting.”
“Most women wouldn’t be able to stand being close to me.”
“You need to stop worrying,” Adelina said. “And I’m not most women.”
“You got that right.” He sighed. “I want to apologize.”
She pulled away, and he rubbed at his eyes. They were red as if he wanted to cry, but the tears hadn’t fallen yet.
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”
“When Massimo came to me and told me to make the arrangement to marry you, I was against it. I felt he could do better. Your family are not exactly well-liked.”
She smiled. “I know.”
“I thought you had manipulated him, but I see now that you and he have a friendship ... and love. It is a love that reminds me of my wife and I. Our marriage was arranged, but I loved her the moment I saw her.”
“Massimo doesn’t love me,” she said.
Vincent chuckled. “Oh, trust me, I know my boy, and he loves you. He just has a funny way of showing it. If he didn’t love you, he wouldn’t have married you. He wouldn’t have cared what happened to you. You’d be married to that piece of shit. But I also know you love my son.”
She had already admitted her feelings to him. “I do.”
“Give it time, and you will see the way my boy feels about you.” He took a breath.
“I never thought I would be able to come in here. Each time I came to that door, it was like the pressure and pain was too much. I should have been there to take that bullet. I had promised I would always take care of her.”
She put a hand on his arm and tried to stop him. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but if I had been there—”
“Stop, I know this is not my place but if your wife was everything you said, then right now, if she could see you, she’d be hurting for you. It was not your fault. You didn’t cause her death.”
Vincent nodded. “It’s strange, but being around you made me realize that not being near her things, not looking at them, I was allowing her to die.
I was not being my best self, and that’s not good.
Hiding away was never part of who I was.
” He sighed. “I want to put some of her work on the wall. I want to remember her.”
Adelina smiled. “What pieces would you like?”
All of them looked stunning. They were beautiful pieces.
For the next hour, Adelina stayed with Vincent as he went through each picture. This was where Isabella found them, and at first she didn’t even step into the room. She stood at the doorway.
“Do you want any help?” Isabella asked.
“Yeah, you can help us choose some of your mother’s artwork. I’m going to get it framed for the walls downstairs.”
Isabella smiled, and Vincent waved his hand for his daughter to enter.
She watched as the two embraced, and she couldn’t help but smile. They were healing. She hadn’t even realized they were broken, but they were finding each other to heal.
Isabella helped find a couple of paintings, and ten were picked in total. She carried them down to Vincent’s office, where he then started to arrange for them to be framed.
Adelina stepped out of the office and saw Isabella, with a hand on the banister, tears falling. She went to her immediately and wrapped her arms around her.
“Are you okay?” Adelina asked.
“I remember when I wanted to go into that room. It wasn’t long after what happened.
Dad wouldn’t let me. It was the first time he had really screamed at me to get out of one of the rooms.” She sighed.
“I was so afraid to go there again. I used to, when Mom was painting. I loved to watch her. It feels good being there, and that Dad is going to use some of Mom’s artwork.
It’s like she’s finally being remembered. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You did.”
She hugged her sister-in-law and was just so grateful she could help.